Prabowo Welcomes Bill Gates at Merdeka Palace: TB Vaccine Trials, MBG Programme Review and Danantara Invitation
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto welcomed Microsoft founder and global philanthropist Bill Gates at the Merdeka Palace on Wednesday, 7 May 2025. Prabowo greeted Bill Gates at the palace grounds and invited him inside for a discussion. Several ministers from the Merah Putih Cabinet accompanied the meeting, including Minister of Investment and Empowerment/Head of BKPM Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono.
This marks Bill Gates' third visit to Indonesia, said to be related to cooperation in health, digital technology, and investment in sustainable innovation.
**Planning TB Vaccine Trials**
Prabowo revealed that one of the topics discussed was conducting TB vaccine trials in Indonesia. Bill Gates, through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is currently funding research and trials of TB vaccines, which have now entered the clinical trial stage in several countries.
"He is developing a TB vaccine for the world, but Indonesia will be one of the trial locations for the vaccine, and we know that TB causes a significant number of deaths, with nearly 100,000 deaths each year," said Prabowo, as quoted by Antara on 7 May 2025.
The government is committed to reducing the death toll from TB through various programmes, including free health check-ups. Bill Gates mentioned that two locations in Indonesia have been selected for clinical trials but did not provide further details.
"We are conducting trials in Africa, India, and here. We are eagerly anticipating it," said Bill Gates.
**Reviewing the MBG Programme**
Bill Gates then left the palace complex and headed to SDN 03 Jati in Pulogadung, East Jakarta, to review the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme with Prabowo, accompanied by Budi Gunadi Sadikin. Prabowo and Bill Gates arrived at the location at around 10:28 AM and greeted residents along the road near the school.
**Prabowo's Plan to Honour Bill Gates**
Prabowo revealed his plan to award the highest honorary decoration to Bill Gates for his outstanding contributions not only to the Indonesian people but also to the world. The President considered Bill Gates very worthy of receiving the highest decoration, considering that through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he consistently funds vaccine development and various other empowerment programmes in Indonesia.
"I will hold a meeting of the Honorary Council because I want, in the name of the Indonesian nation, to award the highest honour to one of the foreign citizens for his services in helping the Indonesian people and the people of the world," said the former Minister of Defence.
Prabowo stated that the award ceremony would be carried out directly in New York in September 2025.
Since 2009, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has donated more than US$159 million to various sectors in Indonesia, with the main allocation in the health sector amounting to US$119 million, US$5 million for the agricultural sector, US$5 million for technology, and over US$28 million for cross-sector programmes.
"He has provided assistance of Rp1.3 trillion, and now our BioFarma is one of the producers of two billion vaccine doses each year, which are utilised by 42 countries worldwide, used by 902 million people," said Prabowo.
**Invited to Join Danantara**
Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin invited Bill Gates to join the advisory board of the Badan Pengelola Investasi (BPI) Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara). Meanwhile, CEO of Danantara Indonesia, Rosan Roeslani, invited the Gates Foundation to allocate funds to the Danantara Trust Fund.
"I have also spoken with the team from the Gates Foundation yesterday morning about the potential for collaboration with Danantara," said Rosan after accompanying President Prabowo in receiving Bill Gates at the Merdeka Palace on Wednesday, 7 May 2025.
This marks Bill Gates' third visit to Indonesia, said to be related to cooperation in health, digital technology, and investment in sustainable innovation.
**Planning TB Vaccine Trials**
Prabowo revealed that one of the topics discussed was conducting TB vaccine trials in Indonesia. Bill Gates, through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is currently funding research and trials of TB vaccines, which have now entered the clinical trial stage in several countries.
"He is developing a TB vaccine for the world, but Indonesia will be one of the trial locations for the vaccine, and we know that TB causes a significant number of deaths, with nearly 100,000 deaths each year," said Prabowo, as quoted by Antara on 7 May 2025.
The government is committed to reducing the death toll from TB through various programmes, including free health check-ups. Bill Gates mentioned that two locations in Indonesia have been selected for clinical trials but did not provide further details.
"We are conducting trials in Africa, India, and here. We are eagerly anticipating it," said Bill Gates.
**Reviewing the MBG Programme**
Bill Gates then left the palace complex and headed to SDN 03 Jati in Pulogadung, East Jakarta, to review the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme with Prabowo, accompanied by Budi Gunadi Sadikin. Prabowo and Bill Gates arrived at the location at around 10:28 AM and greeted residents along the road near the school.
**Prabowo's Plan to Honour Bill Gates**
Prabowo revealed his plan to award the highest honorary decoration to Bill Gates for his outstanding contributions not only to the Indonesian people but also to the world. The President considered Bill Gates very worthy of receiving the highest decoration, considering that through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he consistently funds vaccine development and various other empowerment programmes in Indonesia.
"I will hold a meeting of the Honorary Council because I want, in the name of the Indonesian nation, to award the highest honour to one of the foreign citizens for his services in helping the Indonesian people and the people of the world," said the former Minister of Defence.
Prabowo stated that the award ceremony would be carried out directly in New York in September 2025.
Since 2009, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has donated more than US$159 million to various sectors in Indonesia, with the main allocation in the health sector amounting to US$119 million, US$5 million for the agricultural sector, US$5 million for technology, and over US$28 million for cross-sector programmes.
"He has provided assistance of Rp1.3 trillion, and now our BioFarma is one of the producers of two billion vaccine doses each year, which are utilised by 42 countries worldwide, used by 902 million people," said Prabowo.
**Invited to Join Danantara**
Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin invited Bill Gates to join the advisory board of the Badan Pengelola Investasi (BPI) Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara). Meanwhile, CEO of Danantara Indonesia, Rosan Roeslani, invited the Gates Foundation to allocate funds to the Danantara Trust Fund.
"I have also spoken with the team from the Gates Foundation yesterday morning about the potential for collaboration with Danantara," said Rosan after accompanying President Prabowo in receiving Bill Gates at the Merdeka Palace on Wednesday, 7 May 2025.